Employment, wages down
Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
The average monthly employment, total wages and average weekly wages in Weston County and across the state were down when comparing the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2020, according to the Nov. 5 report from the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Research and Planning Division.
“Wyoming’s economy continued to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in first quarter 2021,” the report says. “From first quarter 2020 to first quarter 2021, Wyoming lost 13,889 jobs (5.2%) and total payroll fell by $192.6 million (5.7%). The largest losses occurred in mining (including oil and gas; -5,484 jobs), leisure & hospitality (-2,686 jobs), construction (-1,237 jobs), local government (including public schools, colleges and hospitals; (-1,291 jobs) and wholesale trade (-998 jobs).”
The state also saw a decrease in the average weekly wage for employees at 0.6% or $6.
In Weston County, decreases were seen across the board as well. The average monthly employment was down 3.1% or 71 people in 2021 compared with 2020. Approximately 2,251 people were employed per month during the first quarter compared with 2,322 in 2020.
A breakdown for the county shows that the federal government sector of the workforce grew 4.2% in 2021, while the private, state government and local government were all down by 4%, 8.6% and 0.2%, respectively.
The largest decreases were seen in the mining sector, including oil and gas, with a decrease of 28.7% or 68 employees; the transportation and warehouse sector with a decrease of 46 workers or 34.6%; and the accommodation and food services sector with a loss of 23 workers or 12.5%.
Increases were seen in several sectors, the largest being in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector, up 25.9% or 10 workers, and the retail trade sector, up 27% or 66 workers.
Total wages were down $1,488,262 across the county, or 6.1%. Workers earned $23,076,261 in 2021, down from the $24,564,523 earned in the first quarter of 2020.
The county breakdown shows that private sector total wages dropped 9.1% in the first quarter of 2021, down $1,466,421 from the $16,149,481 earned in the first quarter of 2020. The state government also experienced a decrease in total wages over the same time period, down 6.9% or $128,004 in 2021 from the $1,735,230 earned in the first quarter of 2020.
Both federal and local governments saw increases in total wages at 4.7%, or $30,628, and 1.3%, or $75,535, respectively.
The largest decreases in total wages were seen in the mining sector, including oil and gas, down 25.4%, or $790,507; wholesale trade, down 27.3%, or $108,973; and other services (specifically repair and maintenance), down 21.8%, or $50,032.
Sectors that experienced increases in total wages were seen in retail trade at 19.6%, or $266,962; finance and insurance, up 25.3%, or $201,851; and construction, up 7.3%, or $95,566.
The average weekly wage for workers in Weston County also dropped 3.1% or $25 in 2021. In 2020, the average weekly wage was reported to be $814, compared with $789 in 2021.
A county breakdown shows that private sector average weekly wages dropped 5.3%, or $44, in 2021, compared with the first quarter of 2020, meaning workers were bringing home an average of $783, compared with $827 the year before.
Increases in the weekly wage were seen in all three areas of the government-owned sectors. The federal government’s average weekly wage increased by 0.6% from $1,035 in the first quarter of 2020 to $1.041 in 2021, while the state government’s wage increased 1.9% from $1,000 to $1,019 and the local government’s wages increased 1.5% from $723 to $733 a week.
The breakdown further shows that the largest decreases were seen in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sectors, with a weekly average decrease of 21.1%, or $117; the wholesale trade sector, with a decrease of 11.4%, or $157; and in the transportation and warehouse sector for the federal government, with a decrease of 7.7%, or $70.
The largest weekly wage increases were seen in the finance and insurance sector at 29.8%, or $315; privately owned transportation and warehouse sector at 11.5%, or $91; and the utilities sector at 6.9%, or $121 a week.
Other counties with increases across the board were Campbell, Converse, Natrona and Sweetwater counties. Nonclassified counties, or jobs where the employer may be located statewide or in multiple counties, were also down across the board.
Counties experiencing increases across the board included Albany, Hot Springs, Johnson, and Lincoln counties.
County-level employment and wages data for the second quarter of 2021 are scheduled to be released on Feb. 4, 2022.